Lost 3 White Skirts overnight :(

[ccross]

As I had posted in another thread, I moved the entire stock of my 10 gallon over to our new 25 gallon yesterday. I moved the gravel, filters, water, everything so I figured it would stay cycled. I added more treated tap water and tested. Everything was in the normal range. Last night I noticed the water was getting cloudy and my white shirts were acting sluggish. I figured they were just stressed from the moves so i turned the tank light off and thought nothing of it. I did do a water test and everything was normal except the ammonia which was .25ppm. I had expected a small spike from the tap water that was added.I did a partial water change and went to bed. This morning I woke up to 3 white shirts stuck to my filter dead.
I immediately tested the water.
Nh3: between 0 and .25ppm
No3: 0
No2: 0
PH: 7.5
KH: 120
GH: 120

I am getting ready to do another partial water change now. THe water is still very cloudy in the tank. I dont know why they died Could it have been stress from the move? My barbs and cory's are acting fine.

 

[LyndaB]

Was there a pH fluctuation between tanks?

I've never had an issue starting up a newer tank for fish I already have and then just popping the new fish into that tank. I've never even had a mini-cycle.

Did you have new substrate that was unrinsed? It seems too early to have had a bacterial bloom in there.

What test kit are you using?

Did you use a dechlorinator like Prime?

 

[ccross]

Was there a pH fluctuation between tanks?

I've never had an issue starting up a newer tank for fish I already have and then just popping the new fish into that tank. I've never even had a mini-cycle.

Did you have new substrate that was unrinsed? It seems too early to have had a bacterial bloom in there.

What test kit are you using?

Did you use a dechlorinator like Prime?

The PH fluctuated by .5 It was 7 in the 10g and 7.5 when tested in the new 25g. I use the API master test kit. The substrate was right out of the old tank, I had too much in the 10 so it was just enough for the 25. I vacuum it 2 times a week and it was JUST vacuumed before the switch. I use a dechlorinator called Jungle Start Right. It removes chlorine and chloramine. I have used it for years so I doubt it is what killed them.

The cloudy water is a mystery as well then if its not bacterial bloom. It was crystal clear all day yesterday and then suddenly clouded up.

 

[James_in_MN]

I did do a water test and everything was normal except the ammonia which was .25ppm. I had expected a small spike from the tap water that was added.I did a partial water change and went to bed. This morning I woke up to 3 white shirts stuck to my filter dead.
I immediately tested the water.
Nh3: between 0 and .25ppm
No3: 0
No2: 0
PH: 7.5
KH: 120
GH: 120

If your nitrAte levels in your evening test are the same as the numbers you posted above from your morning test, then I'd say no, it's not normal. You should have some nitrAte readings, at least 5ppm. My 10g tank had a small bio-load and a ton of nitrAte-absorbing plants, and I still had a 5ppm nitrAte reading.

- Was your 10g tank, in fact, cycled?

- How long was that 10g tank set up?

- What type of filters do you have, the ones you moved from the 10g to the 25g?

 

[iheartmyed9]

You have to shake the test bottles real good before starting the nitrates test or it won't read for anything

 

[ccross]

If your nitrAte levels in your evening test are the same as the numbers you posted above from your morning test, then I'd say no, it's not normal. You should have some nitrAte readings, at least 5ppm. My 10g tank had a small bio-load and a ton of nitrAte-absorbing plants, and I still had a 5ppm nitrAte reading.

- Was your 10g tank, in fact, cycled?

- How long was that 10g tank set up?

- What type of filters do you have, the ones you moved from the 10g to the 25g?

the 10g was cycled and was set up with the same fish for about 6 months or more. The filter I moved from the 10g was a Tetra Whisper 20i and I added a Tetra Whisper EX45 as well.

I know how to do the water testing, I have maintained my other tanks for well over a year an never had issues like this. I did a 50% water change today that took the Nh3 to 0 but the rest of the parameters are the same.

 

[boadams87]

Did u use the 10 gals of water or just use fresh tap water?

 

[James_in_MN]

the 10g was cycled and was set up with the same fish for about 6 months or more. The filter I moved from the 10g was a Tetra Whisper 20i and I added a Tetra Whisper EX45 as well.

I know how to do the water testing, I have maintained my other tanks for well over a year an never had issues like this. I did a 50% water change today that took the Nh3 to 0 but the rest of the parameters are the same.

Please keep in mind that we have people posting on the forums with various levels of experience asking questions, from beginner to expert. I don't believe anyone is trying to insult you, just trying to help you get to the root of the problem, which could have been a cycling or water testing issue (which you just cleared up ).

I'm not sure what your issue would be. There could have been some stirring up of debris with the old gravel (even with multiple gravel vacs), but that would have settled down by now. I would also think it would be too soon for a bacteria bloom to hit your tank, but that could still be a possibility.

You don't completely replace your filter media in those Whisper filters, do you? I don't remember what's in those filters.

 

[ccross]

Did u use the 10 gals of water or just use fresh tap water?

I moved most of the water from the 1g to the new tank and then filled the rest with treated tap water.

 

[ccross]

Please keep in mind that we have people posting on the forums with various levels of experience asking questions, from beginner to expert. I don't believe anyone is trying to insult you, just trying to help you get to the root of the problem, which could have been a cycling or water testing issue (which you just cleared up ).

I'm not sure what your issue would be. There could have been some stirring up of debris with the old gravel (even with multiple gravel vacs), but that would have settled down by now. I would also think it would be too soon for a bacteria bloom to hit your tank, but that could still be a possibility.

You don't completely replace your filter media in those Whisper filters, do you? I don't remember what's in those filters.

I know no one was insulting me Sorry if I sounded defensive. I have never replaced any media, but i have only had tanks for about a year. When it does come time, I intend to use the old media to seed the new media before discarding.

 

[boadams87]

Don't throw it away. Just rinse in tank water. Don't rinse hard. Only throw away when its to ragged to keep any longer.

 

[ccross]

Don't throw it away. Just rinse in tank water. Don't rinse hard. Only throw away when its to ragged to keep any longer.

Right. All my media bags are still in good condition so it'll be a while before I need to worry about changing them.

 

[ccross]

Now I have a tiger barb on the bottom of the tank breathing fast. I dont know what is going on. I did add some cheap glow in the dark plants but I dont see how they could cause any toxins in the water. They were rinsed before they were added. I just tested the water again and everything is still normal. Water is very cloudy though. Should I do another water change?

 

[James_in_MN]

I did add some cheap glow in the dark plants but I dont see how they could cause any toxins in the water. They were rinsed before they were added.

One thing I would suggest is removing anything new you added (including anything with the cheap glow) to the tank and doing a 75%+ water change. At least then you can rule out anything that was transferred from the old tank.

 

[ccross]

Is it possible that this is because I did not acclimate the fish when I added them to the new tank? I didnt think I would need too since I used almost everything from the old tank, including the water.

 

[James_in_MN]

No, I don't think that's the problem. I just think that whatever you added to the tank that wasn't in the 10g is guilty until proven innocent.

I'm also assuming the new 25g you move them to was, in fact, a new tank and not just new to you...

 

[iheartmyed9]

No, I don't think that's the problem. I just think that whatever you added to the tank that wasn't in the 10g is guilty until proven innocent.

I'm also assuming the new 25g you move them to was, in fact, a new tank and not just new to you...

What he said.... Did you wash the 25g out before you set it up? I didn't rinse a 55 I bought and I guess it had Windex on it killed some comets.

 

[ccross]

It was brand new and now I didnt wash it. It was brand new, I didnt think they'd be dumb enough to clean it with chemicals knowing fish were going to be living in it. Something tells me that might be my mistake